The idea of a M.O.T.H. binder comes from Steve and Teri Maxwell's website. I haven't read the book itself, but I have read a lot about the book...if that makes any sense!
My M.O.T.H. binder is pretty simple right now because my kids are still young, so there is not a whole lot of scheduling and planning. I'm sure, though, as the years go on, I'll be adding much to it!
The basic idea of my binder is to keep all my affairs of our home together in the same place.
-If there is an emergency and Ryan or I (or both of us) have to leave the boys under someone's care, our MOTH binder will also provide them guidance on how our home works (including allergies, weekly commitments, chores, etc).
-Instead of having several drawers with different papers, I keep a record of everything important (pertaining to each family member and our basic home maintenance) in the binder.
-It keeps keeps things simple for me-I always know where to find my many lists I love to write!
So far my binder consists of:
-"Day to Day" which is:
- to-do lists
- house rules
- daily reminders
- morning and evening "chores" for each boy
- addresses/numbers we use often
- our school learning objectives
- my cleaning schedule
- our daily and weekly schedules
- etc
- meals I want to try
- our monthly meal planner
- grocery lists
- meals rotation list
- quick meals to feed a big group that comes by unexpectedly (!)
- cooking tips
- coupons
- etc
-"Home-Made and Money Savings" which is:
- info on my cloth diapers (washing, stripping, etc)
- money saving tips
- comparison charts for shopping
- my home recipes (like laundry soap, dishwasher detergent, diaper creme, baby wipes, hand soap...)
- etc
-"Faith and Encouragement" which is:
- our family mission statement
- family vision
- verses I'm memorizing
- verses the boys are (or will) memorize
- encouraging articles, quotes, e-mails, threads on M.O.M.Y.S.
- etc
In the future I hope to add:
-Education: curriculum samples, deals on books, recommended curriculum, etc.
-Wheeler 200 year plan: this is something personal we're working on...so generations to come will know what their great-great grandparents prayed and desired for them. This is family goals, family beliefs, etc.
-Health: doctor info, family medical histories, allergies, etc.
-Sewing projects
For more info, my good friend, Mandy, has an excellent post on her blog about her M.O.T.H. binder here.
